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Green light for Carleton wind farm

CARLETON-SUR-MER, Sept. 6 /CNW Telbec/ - Cartier Wind Energy (CAR) inc.
("Cartier") announced today it has received the ministerial decree for the
implementation of the Carleton wind farm. This important milestone was
recognized in the presence of Mrs. Nathalie Normandeau, Deputy Premier,
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Regions and Member of Parliament for
Bonaventure, and other dignitaries. This decree is a result of a thorough
environmental assessment process and will allow Cartier to begin construction
of the wind farm once all permits and approvals are obtained.
In the upcoming months, Cartier will supervise the installation of the
73 wind turbines, located behind Mont Saint-Joseph, nearly six kilometres from
Carleton-sur-Mer and eight kilometres from 132 road in Maria. The wind farm
will have a total installed capacity of 109.5 MW and will meet the electricity
needs of the equivalent of more than 21,000 households. The commercial
in-service is expected in December 2008.
"Cartier welcomes the decree with enthusiasm and we are pleased to
continue our collaboration with the Baie-des-Chaleurs community for the
Carleton wind farm. We look forward to the same success that we have achieved
with our previous wind farms at Baie-des-Sables and L'Anse-à-Valleau,"
declared Mr. Martin Loiselle, General Manager of Cartier.
Cartier is committed to hiring local workers and suppliers and will work
with the local development centre to stimulate local employment related to the
wind farm. It will also initiate a follow-up committee to help meet these and
other goals.
The Carleton wind farm is the third project to be developed following
Hydro-Québec's first wind energy call for tenders in 2004. Representing a
value of $170 million, the wind farm will result in the hiring of more than
200 people during construction and in community investments of $2.9 million to
the municipalities over a period of 21 years.
Cartier, which is headquartered in Longueuil, won 740 MW in wind energy
projects in Hydro-Québec's first wind energy call for tenders for projects
that will be developed from 2006 to 2012. Cartier Wind Energy's projects
represent an investment of more than $1.1 billion. Cartier is a partnership of
TransCanada Corporation and Innergex II Income Fund.